Cruise Day 5

Finally, it’s warm! We arrived in Key West around 8:00. We decided to not rush off the boat but take our time. We got up about 7:30 and got ready. Then we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Finally, we got off about 9:00. In Key West, we planned on just sightseeing so we did not book anything. We had looked up scooter rentals before coming out and had found a place with good rates. As we left the boat another company was soliciting customers and said that they’d match the price so we got in the shuttle and we were off.

We arrived at the rental shop and got our ride. We opted for the helmets. I did not see any other riders anywhere with helmets on. We called our scooter Sasha, paying homage to the show Scrubs. Audrey was a bit nervous at the beginning, but she warmed up once we got under way.

The first place we visited was the Southernmost Point in the continental US. There is a marker there that is closer to Cuba (90 miles) than Miami. We took the standard photo and proceeded to Earnest Hemmingway’s house. We did not go in but looked at it from the outside.

We also noticed that there were wild chickens running around, everywhere! There were a couple of close calls with road kill chickens, but luckily, no reported injuries.

We zipped on over to an Eco-Conservation center mainly to use the bathrooms. However, it was a pretty cool place. They had some coral reefs and other fish that were pretty interesting. Back on the road, we made a stop at a very kitschy Walgreens. It was in an old theater. Inside, it had all of the same things you’d expect in a Walgreen’s, but it just didn’t look like a Walgreen’s.

We went to lunch at a local Mexican restaurant called Salsa Loca. It was OK, but we were a little nervous that we’d wandered into a Gay establishment without knowing it. However, I do not think that was the case.

After lunch, we went to the Butterfly House. It was loaded with butterflies. It was very relaxing and green. We have a similar facility at the Toledo Zoo, but this one had more butterflies in it. I recommend it if you are ever in Key West.

We tried to find mile marker 0 on US Hwy 1, but couldn’t find it and time was getting short. So we went back to the rental place to return Sasha. The shuttle picked us up to return us to the ship. On the way back, we drove by a HUGE statue of a man and woman dancing so obviously, we had to walk back to take pictures. Then, we stopped by a pirate shop and took pictures with the statues there. Audrey found the traditional Blackbeard. However, the female pirate was displaying her “pirate treasures” so we had to be a bit more strategic with our photo.

Then back to the ship for Audrey to work out and me to do laundry in the shower. I forgot to pack half of my delicates so I was running a bit short. Then we went to dinner and the evening show. We were not too impressed with the impersonator act, so we went back to our room to rest up for the midnight buffet. Then it’s off to Nassau tomorrow and our personal sub trip. The temp today was 80 degrees with 85 degree water. Tomorrow it is supposed to be 88 degrees with water about the same temp. It should be fun!

Audrey with Sasha

Kind of self-explanatory.

Wild chickens everywhere.

For Donna.

For Emma.

Walgreen's.

For Jakey.

Feeling Zen at the Butterfly House.

Animals are drawn to her.

Oops.  We sat on a butterfly.

Big statues.

Holding Blackbeard's hook,

Asset protection.

Cruise Day 4

Laaaaaaazy day spent at sea! The wind really whipped us around. Rick and I tried "running" the track, but felt like we had sandbags tied to our shoes. Late in the afternoon the clouds darkened around us and showered us with rain for about 5 minutes. It was spectacular!

The sea was angry that day....

Between meals and naeating and napping we goofed around with our camera. No one laughs harder at us that we do!

Model shot.

Another self portrait.

The thinker.

Senior portrait.

One of the downsides of a cruise is that you see more skin than you'd like. I wish the show What Not To Wear would do a cruise episode.

Crack is whack!

In the evening we saw another amazing show by singer Kenny James. He was a 13 time winner on Star Search and won the $100,000 grand prize back in the 80s (and back when that was a lot of money). We sat on the very front row - so close we could see him sweat.

Cruise Day 3

The most memorable family vacation that I went on was a trip to Disney World in 5th grade. During the trip, we went to the Kennedy Space Center. Let me back up. I was a juvenile space junky. I blame it on Star Wars. I was infatuated with space. I wanted to be the world’s first doctor-firefighter-paleontologist-astronaut.


Fast forward to Day 3 of our cruise. We stopped at our first port, Port Canaveral. We had picked our excursions months ago and the first was a return to NASA. The boat was about 2 hours late getting cleared for us to leave. Once cleared, the stampede began. It really wasn’t too bad except for those that kept trying to skip ahead in line. We couldn’t find Audrey’s key card that doubles as your pass on and off the ship, so they made us another one. After I returned to the room with the new card, Audrey found her old one. Well, when we went to leave the ship, we had accidentally brought the old, deactivated card. She couldn’t get off of the ship. So I left her and had a great time without her. Just kidding. I went back and got the new card and everything worked fine.

Once off the boat, we passed this couple fully supporting a very old and feeble appearing man trying to cross the street. No, we didn’t rush over to help because they seemed to have it covered. However, we did wonder which excursion they were planning with this man that could barely shuffle his feet. We assumed that it was parasailing or maybe scuba. For some reason, they did not plan ahead and arrange a wheelchair or anything.

We took a tour bus to Kennedy. On the drive, Audrey saw an alligator in the canal beside the road. Kennedy is on the edge of a huge nature preserve. They have very few fences because the alligators and many poisonous snakes keep unwanted people out pretty well.

Once there, we headed to a launch simulator. It was similar to Star Tours at Disneyland. In the pre-flight video, the astronaut instructor claims that it is the most realistic blast-off simulator in existence. Maybe or maybe not. But it was pretty cool.

After we returned to earth, we got on the bus tour. It takes you to some cool sights on the facility that are too far to walk. We were in luck. The shuttle is scheduled to launch next week so it was on the pad. We got to see the actual shuttle and Boosters/Fuel Tank assembled and on the pad. It was from about 1 mile away, but it was the real deal. While we were there, NASA announced a launch delay to the 19th or so.

We then were bussed to where they have a Saturn V rocket housed. It is ENORMOUS! It is really hard to describe without seeing, but it is as tall as a 36 story building. Its mass is about 91% fuel. It was awesome. They also had a display with many actual space related displays including moon rocks, Alan Shepard’s actual space suit worn on Apollo 14, and toms of other cool stuff.

We caught an IMAX 3D presentation about the repair of the Hubble telescope. It was a little hard to comprehend the images from the telescope, even in 3D. The vastness of space is a bit overwhelming.

The whole day, I felt like a kid again. It stirred feelings of patriotism, excitement, and wonder as I saw what people have been through in order to better understand our world and beyond. I could feel that 11 year old’s excitement again; wishing that I could go up there. And although I would probably jump at the chance, I am grateful that I have been so blessed to be actually living out the greatest adventure of all. And I’m so grateful to have my beautiful wife along for the journey.

(By Rick)

Not the real shuttle.

The real shuttle!

Saturn V

My girl!

The traditional self portrait.

Restricted my butt.

For the ladies.

Maybe these should be classified as planets, no?

The real deal!

Cruise Day 2

Ten hours of sleep later, 8:30 sure came early! We breakfasted with folks that were at least 40 years our senior and had great conversation. We truly are fuddy duddies.


Windy conditions made it a bit chilly to lounge on deck. We didn’t dare get into our bathing suits to lie out like some folks. It would have blinded those around us, so we walked the track for a while to stay warm. It was fun to do some people watching and take in some much needed sunshine.

We did spend some time in the solarium sitting in the hot tub, but we had to get out because of a booger. Oh sure, the swearing and content was offensive too, but the booger hanging out from one of the guys’ nostrils was too much to bear.

The day was spent at see as our ship made its way down the Atlantic coast. What else did we have to do but nap some more? After lunch, we slept for two wonderful hours. All that eating sure makes ya sleepy! When we dressed in our fancies, we strolled around snapping pictures of each other. It felt like prom. A violinist played in the background while the sun set in the distance. Beautiful!

Rick outdid himself at dinner. He had four appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts. The server didn’t even bat an eye (I guess he’s used to that kind of thing from cruisers). We also went to a show in the Orpheum Theater called From Stage to Screen. It was a musical review of West Side Story, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, and Chicago. The dancing and costumes were amazing, though we were a little let down by some suspicious lip-synching.

In the cafe.

At the stern (Back).

Formal night.

Dr. Formal.

The handsome couple.

Yep, feels like Prom.



Fancy feet.



Pretty sunset.

Prettier sunset.

Cruise Day 1

Unprepared? Us?


The week preceding our cruise we flip-flopped no less than 50 times about going. We were uncertain about Emma’s health and couldn’t imagine having any fun while worrying about our sick girl. Fortunately, Emmy took a turn for the better after her steroid treatment. We cancelled our plane tickets to Arizona and reverted back to Plan A. Suddenly we had to pack our fancy cruisin’ clothes. And Rick hadn’t gone shopping yet!

The kids flew out from Detroit a day before we were due to leave for our trip. Rick and I spent the evening shopping at the mall. Rick easily found some dapper duds, and he didn’t have to try stuff on. Ugh! I was on a mission to put together my formal ensemble. The options available for a thirty-something gal who wishes not to flaunt her “assets” are slim to none. I could’ve taken the mother-of-the-bride route, but I wasn’t feeling the matronly look yet either. Needless to say, the shopping trip was frustrating. Many tears were shed, and that was just from Rick!

After a late-night packing frenzy we got up and hit the road to Maryland. My sister Sheila and her family live somewhat near Baltimore and we wanted to meet up with them before we left on our cruise. The trip wasn’t bad, though we did experience some rain and snow along the way. The weather made us that much more anxious to get to some warmth and sunshine.

It was a treat to spend time with family. My nephew Joel has changed so much since I saw him in November. He’s certainly talking more, but unfortunately for me, it’s in Spanish (haha)! He really warmed up to his Uncle Rick quickly. He enjoyed the rocket ship rides and being tossed about endlessly. I think I freaked him out a bit because of my resemblance to his mother. It must have been confusing.

Sheila drove us to the port where we boarded the ship after waiting in one line after another. Things moved along pretty well considering, and we enjoyed a lazy luncheon once we were settled. Party animals we are, we napped the rest of the afternoon away. Our tiny inside stateroom was so dark it was easy to lose all sense of time.

We ate dinner late and were seated with two other couples, neither of which we had much in common. Rick was a trooper and got the conversati going, otherwise we may have gone nine days with no words exchanged. I enjoyed one of my favorite Indian dishes and Rick had 2 of everything else on the menu.

A movie was showing at 11:00 that we planned on staying up to see, but we were so tired that we crashed out at 10:15! Don’t you want to cruise with us?

Sisters

Joel admiring Rick

Hmmmm.  Already a monkey on his back...

Cute mommy and little man.

Getting acquainted.

Besties...

Where to begin?

Where to begin?



Since the end of January, Emmy has struggled with her health. Do you remember our heart-warming post about the stomach “bugs” that kept interrupting her slumber? The poor girl slept with a bowl for weeks!


Unfortunately, that was just the first step of a long climb. She developed several other symptoms that stumped us and her doctors. The evenings brought extreme fatigue, chills, and fevers. After school, Emma often went straight to bed to huddle under her electric blanket. Sometimes she would even fall asleep! She didn’t want to go out anymore, play the piano, or hang out with her friends. Her joints were often stiff and store, first in the knees and ankles, then in the fingers. At times, the pain would be accompanied by swelling and redness. I had to start helping her dress because the buttons and shoelaces were hard to manage. She also broke out in rashes that traveled from the apples of her cheeks to just above the jaw line.


Sores developed in her mouth, causing her a lot of discomfort. This made eating a chore. She filled up quickly or had no appetite at all. When we pushed her to take “just a few more bites”, she complained of stomach pain and nausea. She couldn’t even finish a bowl of cereal. Over the course of 2 months, she lost 12% of her body weight.


We started seeing doctors in February. Our family physician suspected a hearty virus that needed to run its course. Dissatisfied with that answer, we sought more help at the ER. Her weight loss really startled us, and we felt she needed a more thorough workup. Rick turned to a friend that he works with in the ER at St. Vincent’s, and we were able to have her blood drawn and some tests run. We were able to rule out Leukemia and the doctor discharged us with the instructions to feed her more ice cream.


Things didn’t get better. We obtained the name of a pediatrician who deals with genuinely sick kids (Dr. Mills). Rick called Dr. Mills and talked with him at length. Dr. Mills said he was happy to see her and immediately ordered more blood tests at St. Vincent’s. Once again, Emma was subjected to needles (which she hates), but was able to endure the experience by sitting on her Daddy’s lap. This new batch of tests revealed that her liver function was slightly elevated and she showed signs of non-specific inflammation. When we met with Dr. Mills, he gave a thorough examination and he spent a great deal of time getting her complete history. He suspected Emma might have an auto immune problem or something going on in the GI system. He connected us with a rheumatologist and a gastroenterologist. For good measure, Dr. Mills ordered an echocardiogram and an EKG because he was concerned about her rapid heart rate.


In just two days, the GI doc worked us in. He suspected Crohn’s or Celiac disease and scheduled an immediate colonoscopy and endoscopy. The preparation for these procedures was absolutely grueling. Emma was placed on a clear, liquid diet all day. I couldn’t let her eat anything, and it was awful. She really only tolerated popsicles since salty broth aggravated the apthous ulcers that had developed in her mouth. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she had to drink 10 oz. of Magnesium Citrate to flush out her system. With Rick working at the hospital all day, I had to be the one to administer the tortuous liquid. Over the period of 4 hours, I could only get her to drink 3 oz of the stuff. She hated me for every drop I forced on her. Fortunately, Daddy came home at 9:30 that night and worked his magic on her. She drank the potion and the desired results soon followed.


The next morning, Emma had to be off all liquids. Her little system was so depleted that we had to carry her and push her in a wheelchair. Her echo and EKG went smoothly until it was time to sit up. A wave of nausea hit her, but her empty system barely yielded anything. We were so concerned about her dehydration at this point that we hurried her to outpatient surgery so we could get her started on an IV. I was grateful that Rick was well connected at the hospital so he could push for things to move along quickly. Otherwise, we would have sat in the waiting area for hours. He informed the receptionists at the surgery check-in desk that he was going to take Emma over to the ER to start an IV. Magically they were able to get her up to pre-op right away.


Emma was understandably apprehensive about the colonoscopy, but too weak to do more than moan about it. The only real crying came when the anesthesiologist gave her Propofol in the OR. Rick got to be with her until she fell asleep, so she had no memory of being without a familiar face. The GI specialist did a thorough scope but found nothing that indicated Crohn’s. He took 22 biopsies and they all came back negative. The only thing he found was a tiny apthous ulcer in her stomach.


It was a relief to have that ordeal over, knowing that some of the scary diseases had been ruled out. Once Emma woke from surgery she drank the ice water she had begged us for just hours earlier. Rick raided the physician’s lounge and brought her an array of her favorite treats, including ice cream. With nutrients in her system, she perked up considerably. Waiting for us at home was a delicious dinner made by my loving visiting teachers. For the first time in weeks, our family of four sat down at our own table and ate a meal together. What a beautiful thing!


A week went by and tests continued to come back. Since we could rule out a lot of GI issues, we turned our focus toward rheumatologic causes for Emma’s symptoms. The pediatric rheumatologist in Ann Arbor agreed to see Emma, but couldn’t schedule us in until May. We met again with Dr. Mills and he referred us to a local immunologist with additional training in rheumatology. Dr. Mills also referred us to a cardiologist for the rapid heart rate. In addition, Dr. Mills called the specialist in Ann Arbor to push for an earlier visit. Now Emma’s appointment is in mid-April. It helps to have friends in high places, right?


The very next day we were able to meet with the immunologist, Dr. Nelson, who worked us in during her lunch hour. She believed Emma showed signs of some sort of Juvenile Arthritis and scheduled her that very evening to have an IV burst of steroids at the hospital. She wanted additional labs drawn, as well as an ultra sound of Emma’s fingers. Between the visit with Dr. Nelson and the fun waiting for us at the hospital, we went to see the cardiologist. He also examined her thoroughly and ordered a repeat echo. It was totally normal.


It was a full day of doctors, driving, and drama. Poor neglected Jacob was left in the care of our dear neighbors, who picked him up from school and fed him a good meal. We didn’t get home until almost 10:00, but we found him in the basement watching the old-school A-Team show on the big screen. I guess teenage boys have different ways of dealing with stress, right? He was concerned about Emma, and we talked with him awhile to reassure him.


The next day, we fully expected Miss Emma to sleep in, and possibly miss school. However, she was up before we were and reported that she actually felt normal! We fed her a BIG breakfast and she actually skipped down the hall to get her backpack ready. She arrived at school on time and took 4 makeup tests! Later that afternoon, we watched her sing and dance with the Junior Jazzers. Then, we took the kids out for dinner and Emma actually finished her meal! Hooray!


For the time being, Emma will continue to take oral steroids for several weeks, along with Naproxen to help with the joint pain. We still don’t have a specific diagnosis, but we’re encouraged by her rapid response to the steroids. Her turnaround is truly miraculous, and we know it is because of prayers and fasting that she is feeling better. What a blessing it is to have family and friends of faith!


<><> <><> <><>

Peeling and duskiness at her fingertips.

<><> <><> <><>

Redness and swelling at the knuckles.

<><> <><> <><>

Traveling rash on her face and neck

<><> <><> <><>

Just one of MANY blood draws.

<><> <><> <><>

Coming off of anesthesia

<><> <><> <><>

Eating ice cream after a 36-hour fast.

<><> <><> <><>

In the PICU receiving IV steroids.